The art negotiation
by canny-bairn
Summary: The BAU has been infiltrated before only this time the threat comes from within.


**Disclaimer – I own nothing related to Criminal Minds!**

**Damn you procrastination if only I could concentrate more on my actual work!**

**Here's a little JJ/Hotch fic, hope you like it :D **

...

Rossi tapped urgently on the Unit Chief's door and stepped into the dimly lit office with panic etched into deep wrinkles around his eyes.

Meeting the team leader's confused gaze as he looked up from the pile of paperwork on his desk, the acclaimed author inhaled sharply. "You should come with me."

"What's wrong?" Hotch asked in concern as he immediately stood on his old friend's request.

Rossi looked ahead of him, keeping his voice low, as he led the taller man through the quiet bullpen, both agents noting that the BAU A team were nowhere in sight. "It's Morgan. A situation has developed."

Hotch paused momentarily, making the elder profiler stop at the glass doors. "How bad is this?"

"It's bad." Rossi answered quickly, noting the former prosecutor tense in anticipation.

Hotch opened the heavy door for the pair of them and took a few deep breaths. "Maybe we should go in armed?"

"That will only make matters worse. We can talk our way out of this and hopefully retrieve Morgan unharmed." Rossi instructed calmly.

Hotch shook his head slowly. "I don't know Dave, this is a dangerous situation. We don't have Reid on this one, we're outnumbered."

"Aaron you're the best negotiator I know." Dave halted them before the rounded the corner. "Just remember there's only one way in and out, we can't afford to be out manoeuvred otherwise we'll be in the same position as Derek."

"How did we let this happen?"Hotch whispered with a sigh as he leaned forwards slightly to see further down the corridor.

Rossi glanced in the direction the Unit Chief was looking and shook his head. "I don't know, we should have seen this coming."

"We can't blame ourselves over this. Morgan made his choice." Hotch closed his eyes briefly.

The experienced agent nodded in agreement. "He's too hot headed to have handled this in the first place. You warned him there would be consequences."

"It's too late now for that. We just have to manage the situation at hand and hope for a peaceful outcome." The suited agent reassured slowly, mentally preparing himself for the showdown as the edged closer to their target.

Rossi patted the younger man's back as he hesitated to open the door. "I'm right here with you, Hotch."

Hotch met Rossi's eyes and locked his jaw before opening the grey door.

Derek was backed up against the far wall of his office. Sheer fear and panic covered his sweaty face. "I didn't mean it... I swear I was just trying to help."

"You were trying to help? Who do you think you are?" The tallest captor spat harshly.

Morgan caught his two colleague's figures and cringed. "God please help me."

Hotch and Rossi froze as they were faced, for the first time, with what they had feared for the last six months.

Hotch stepped further into the room after Rossi nudged him in his back. "I don't really understand what is going on but I want to help everyone here. I want us all to get what we want so we can walk out of here in one peace."

A collective roar of expletives rang out in the room before Hotch raised his hand, silencing the small group. "Derek, are you okay?"

"I don't know man. I don't feel so good." Morgan whimpered slightly as he connected eyes with the leader of his assailants.

Hotch nodded slowly, taking a quick gaze behind him to see Rossi had left him alone.

Groaning, Hotch ran a hand through his short hair before facing the eyes that were all on him. "Listen, I think we all just need to take a deep breath..."

"This doesn't concern you, Hotch." Garcia cut off their supervisor harshly.

Hotch inhaled slowly to calm his breathing. "Actually it does."

"No it doesn't." JJ barked before turning back to the cowering male profiler behind her.

Hotch took a tentative step closer to the three angry women. "You four are all my agents, so yes, this concerns me."

"Okay, do you agree with him?" Prentiss asked snappily.

Hotch raised his hands up in surrender. "What? No, no, I don't..."

"So you agree with us." Prentiss stated confidently.

Hotch tilted his head to the side and regretted his words as soon as he spoke. "Well not exactly, I..."

JJ twisted back with her hands on her hips, glaring at the tense Unit Chief. "I don't believe this!"

"Derek was just trying to help." Hotch attempted to regain control of the situation.

"He was condescending and manipulative and he went straight over my head." JJ retorted through gritted teeth.

Prentiss and Garcia nodded whilst speaking in unison. "Morgan should have known better."

"Okay, okay I get that you're pissed." Hotch lowered his hands to his side slowly.

JJ rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Oh please don't act like you're on my side now."

"I think you're overreacting JJ." Morgan mumbled quietly.

JJ pointed to the Chicago native warningly. "Do not think I won't out bitch you Derek Morgan."

"JJ." Hotch said softly.

The blonde Pennsylvanian pinched her finger and thumb together tightly in front of her. "I am this close to losing it."

"You haven't lost it yet?" The raven haired man asked with a raised eye.

The three women glared at the profiler as he gulped. Garcia strolled forwards slowly and closed the gap between her and Hotch. "You are on our list."

"Your list?" Hotch asked in regret.

Garcia pursed her lips together tightly. "Yes, our list of those who wrong us and should be justly punished and you're on it, right after this moron," Garcia pointed to Morgan, "and Agent Anderson."

"What did Anderson do?" Hotch asked cautiously.

"Oh he knows." Prentiss remarked knowingly.

Getting frustrated Hotch straightened and cleared his throat. "Okay, I think this is now over. Everyone needs to get back to work."

The three women stared back at the senior profiler blankly as Morgan ran his sweaty palms down the side of his suit pants.

Hotch crossed his arms across his chest as no one moved. "What's it going to take to get you all back to work?"

The two female profilers exchanged a look with Garcia who mimicked Hotch with folding her arms. "An apology, an admittance of guilt from Agent 'I-thought-I-was-helping' and an early finish from work tomorrow night so we can catch late night shopping."

"Morgan." Hotch looked over his female counterparts to the silent male profiler.

Morgan sighed and nodded. "JJ, I am sorry I went over your head and finished the Barrows consult for you. I'm also sorry that I said you shouldn't be coming with us on cases and I admit that I am trying to keep you from doing your job. I apologise that I am meddling in your life and I hope I caused no offence when I made that remark about comparing pregnant women to penguins."

Hotch flashed his colleague a look which said 'oh-no-you-didn't' before turning their attention back to him. "We have no case so I see no reason why you three can't leave early tonight as well as tomorrow evening."

"Are we good?" Morgan asked hopefully.

JJ bit her lower lip as she thought. "You need to realise that I am more than capable of doing my job, Derek."

"I know." He nodded slowly.

"Do you?" Garcia asked quickly. "Because we're not going to put up with any snide remarks from you."

"Understood, baby girl." Morgan let out a thankful sigh as the three women separated slightly, allowing him out of his own office.

Garcia and Prentiss rejoined JJ in the middle of the room and focused on the hovering Unit Chief.

Hotch looked at each of the agents before speaking again. "Is there any chance I can talk to JJ alone, for a few minutes?"

"We're not sure we want to speak to you right now." Garcia answered confidently.

Hotch frowned at the solidarity the three women had formed. "I only want a few minutes alone with the mother of my child."

"Are you going to behave yourself and not impose a mandate for maternity leave?" Garcia pressed firmly.

Hotch nodded slowly after some thought. "Yes."

JJ smiled and nodded to her two friends. Garcia patted Hotch's shoulder as she passed him. "Okay then, bye Hotch."

"See you Hotch." Prentiss called back before she closed Morgan's office door.

Hotch met his hormone fuelled partner's neutral expression. "Was all of this necessary?"

"Yes." JJ answered with a slight shrug.

Not needing another standoff in his department today, the Unit Chief nodded slowly in response. "Okay."

...

**Thanks for reading!**


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